My '94 4Runner(6 cyl, 4wd) which has quite a bit of rust underneath it, is in the shop now having its passenger CV axle replaced after a cracked CV boot went unnoticed. The spare tire rack also rusted in place and had to be cut out two years ago. Aside from rust it runs pretty well for having $130k and being rear ended a few years back. The maintenance schedule has been followed, and it's seen minimal 4wd driving. The clutch was replaced at about 100k, and the steering relay rod was replaced after the recall. I think the tailgate had to be either replaced or rebuilt after the accident but there's never been any trouble whatsoever with those repairs. No front end damage…it was slammed into at 30mph from behind but wasn't pushed very far. My dealership said the idler arm is loose, but my steering is still tight, and the other shop hasn't said a thing.

If this was your daily driver, what would you be keeping an eye on if you wanted to have the most reliability per the dollar over the next 3 years? Thanks!

 

Well you cant do a whole lot since its already rusting pretty bad,Im lucky my 91 is pretty much rust free! But towards the end of summer I allways put a fresh coat of undercoating on it ( ya can try this too ) You can buy it in spray cans at AutoZone Ect.
Other than the rust just keep up on the maintenance LIKE YOU ARE !! Replace worn parts it should last a long time!!
Mine has a 3.0 V6 175000 miles Still Runs Like New
Keep Up The Good Work
Tazz